A Chat with Raini Rodriguez

Raini Rodriquez (second from right) poses with her Austin & Ally costars—Calum Worthy, Laura Marano, and Ross Lynch—on set while filming the third season premiere episode.

At the end of Season 2 of Austin & Ally, the two singers are heading in different directions. Austin (Ross Lynch) sets out on his first national tour, and Ally (Laura Marano) stays behind to record an album. Now we just need to know what’s in the note Austin gave to Ally before he left. Tune in to the Disney Channel on Sunday, October 27, to find out.

While you’re waiting for the show’s premiere, check out what Raini Rodriguez, 20, had to say about the mysterious note in our Q&A with the actress. Rodriguez, who plays bossy manager Trish on the hit series, spoke to TFK about the much-anticipated premiere episode, new love interests for the characters and how the cast members celebrate Halloween on set.

Trish is the manager of Austin and Ally. She’s the boss. She likes to tell people what to do, but she’s also lazy and sarcastic at the same time. She can’t hold down a job. I think she’s had more than 200 jobs throughout the three seasons. It’s actually really funny. She’s the crazy best friend.

TFK:

Do you have any of Trish’s character traits?

RODRIQUEZ:

I’m definitely not as lazy as she is, but I am sarcastic. I like to be the boss too, but I’m not as mean or rude about it as Trish.

TFK:

How has Trish changed over the show’s seasons?

RODRIQUEZ:

She’s become more mature. She’s learning about the music business and becoming a better manager. She books gigs and sets up meetings. She may screw things up in the process, but she has definitely grown as a manager.

TFK:

What do you enjoy most about playing your character?

RODRIQUEZ:

I love that she’s not afraid to tell people what she’s thinking. She’s just so honest. Whether it’s a funny comment or a criticism, she speaks her mind. I also think it’s funny that I’m the smallest person on set, but I have the biggest voice.

TFK:

What can you tell our readers about the new season?

RODRIQUEZ:

We introduce some new characters. We’ve got a new set. There are possible new love interests for everybody. There are a lot of changes, but we’ve also worked hard to make this the same show that our fans love to watch.

TFK:

Can you talk a little more about these new love interests?

RODRIQUEZ:

To be honest, the new love interests could be for any of our characters. We’re all young. We’re teenagers. We meet people every day. Who knows what will happen for any of us, really?

TFK:

What can we expect from the first episode of Season 3?

RODRIQUEZ:

In the first episode of our season premiere, we see that Ally stays behind in Miami working on her record. Austin, Trish and Dez go on tour. We all try to meet up, but we keep missing each other, and ending up in different cities. We keep getting into situations where we don’t have enough money, or we almost miss a bus, that sort of thing. We’re up to our usual antics.

TFK:

What can you tell us about the note Austin gave to Ally at the end of Season 2?

RODRIQUEZ:

None of the cast members knew what was in the note while we were filming. They didn’t tell us until we started shooting Season 3. We are all fans of the show, so whenever we find out something that’s going to happen, we’re like, ‘Oh my goodness! They’re doing what? Are you serious?’ We’re waiting to see what happens in the season finale just like everyone else. So if you want to know what’s in the note, you’ll have to tune in and watch!

TFK:

What do you think kids will enjoy most about the new season?

RODRIQUEZ:

This season, fans get to travel with us to different cities while we’re on tour. The whole season will be a breath of fresh air. At the same time, we’re still the same lovable, dorky kids our fans have come to know.

TFK:

What can you tell our readers about Disney’s month-long “Monstober” celebration?

RODRIQUEZ:

It’s super fun because I’m hosting Monstober with my costar, Calum Worthy. We dress up as zaliens, which are zombie aliens. We introduce all the new shows that are premiering in October and all the Disney Channel Halloween movies.

TFK:

Do you like to dress up for Halloween?

RODRIQUEZ:

It’s the best part! Okay, watching scary movies is another fun part of Halloween. But I do love to dress up. I always dress up as a 50s girl. I wear a poodle skirt, a white cotton shirt, socks with pink and red guitars on them, and Mary Jane shoes. I do my hair in a high ponytail and wrap a little scarf around it.

TFK:

What is your favorite scary movie?

RODRIQUEZ:

I love Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s so good! On set, we love to watch scary movie marathons together. We’ll watch Poltergeist,Werewolf in London and Halloween. We have so much fun.

TFK:

Do all the cast members dress up for Halloween on set?

RODRIQUEZ:

The first season, I went as Ross (who plays Austin) and Laura (who plays Ally) went as Calum (who plays Dez). The second season, we dressed up as the cast of I Love Lucy (a comedy TV show from the 50s). I was Ricky Ricardo. We’re still trying to come up with costume ideas for this year.